Former Indian John McDonald hasn't hit many home runs in his big-league career. On Father's Day the Toronto infielder hit a big one for a special person.
Former Indians infielder John McDonald has built his big-league career on the strength of his defensive skills. But at the end of an emotional week, his bat helped him deliver one of his most dramatic moments in the majors.INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: With all the talk of rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg, let us remember that there have been phenoms before and there will be more in the future.
In big-league history, here’s the breakdown of strikeouts by a pitcher in his first five starts: Herb Score, 50 in 1955; Strasburg, 48, in 2010; Kerry Wood, 45, in 1998; Jose DeLeon, 43, in 1983 and Mark Prior, 43 in 2002.
Hard hat: Deep down, most first- and third-base coaches don’t like wearing batting helmets, which are required in the big leagues. Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. was glad he had one on Monday night when Anderson Hernandez sent a foul liner right over his head.
“Thank God for batting helmets,” said Alomar. “Usually it happens when a left-hander is hitting. But Anderson was hitting right handed. For a second I didn’t know what to do. I just ducked and it went over my head.”
Stat of the day: Jhonny Peralta is hitting only .260 overall, but at night he’s hitting .321. It’s the 10th-highest nighttime average in the AL.
— Paul Hoynes
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- John McDonald was taught not to show emotion on the field. The game was always about the team, not the individual.
So when he crossed home plate in the ninth inning on Father's Day at Rogers Centre, after hitting his first home run of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays, he did something uncharacteristic. He pointed to the sky.
McDonald did it for his father, Jack, who died on June 14 after an eight-month ordeal with liver and kidney cancer.
"He told me before he died that when I hit my next home run to point to him when I crossed home plate," said McDonald before Tuesday's game. "I told him, 'Dad, that may take a while.' In the back of my mind I'm thinking I may have to play softball after I'm done playing baseball to do it, but I told him I would."
McDonald, who spent parts of six seasons with the Indians from 1999 through 2004, has 14 career homers in over 1,900 plate appearances.
The only reason McDonald was at Rogers Centre on Father's Day so soon after his father's death -- Jack was buried two days earlier -- was because of a promise he made.
"My dad and I had done a write-in contest online on why you want to bring your dad to the ballpark on Father's Day," said McDonald. "We hosted 25 kids and their dads. And Dad said to me, 'Make sure you're back in Toronto for Father's Day this year because these kids are going to be waiting to see you.'"
McDonald didn't start the interleague game. He came in as a replacement at second base and homered off San Francisco's Jeremy Affeldt in the ninth inning of a 9-6 loss.
"All I wanted to do was hit the ball hard," said McDonald. "It was so bittersweet circling the bases. Whenever I've done something good on the baseball field, I'd call my Mom and Dad. It was an instant realization that he was gone. This is the first one I can't call home about."
McDonald started at third base Tuesday night for the Jays.
Meet and greet: No.1 pick Drew Pomeranz is in Cleveland visiting the Indians. The 6-5 left-hander from the University of Mississippi, the fifth player taken in the first round, is getting a physical.
If everything checks out, the Indians will start negotiations. He is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council. The Indians have until Aug. 16 to sign him.
Check up: Dr. Thomas Graham, one of the top hand specialists in the country, will examine infielders Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Donald on Wednesday. Graham did the surgery on Cabrera's broken left forearm after he was injured in a collision with teammate Jhonny Peralta on May 17 at Tropicana Field.
Donald, called up to replace Cabrera, has missed the last four games with a sore left wrist.
Graham, 47, is returning to Cleveland Clinic after spending the last 10 years as head of the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital. In that time, he told the Baltimore Sun, he's helped over 1,700 professional athletes.
He grew up in Liverpool, Ohio and did his residency at Cleveland Clinic.
Cabrera fielded 20 ground balls early Tuesday afternoon. He threw 10 to first base. He could be back sometime after the All-Star break.
Donald took batting practice Tuesday and said he felt good. Manager Manny Acta said he's "playable," but that they're just being cautious.
Congratulations: Jackie Laffey, wife of Indians pitcher Aaron, gave birth to a boy on Tuesday. Braeden Parker Laffey weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long.
Finally: The Indians are an umpire's best friend. They are the only team in the big leagues without an ejection. ... Austin Kearns, who already has had more at-bats than he had all last year, didn't start Tuesday. "We've rode Kearns pretty hard up until this point of the season," said Acta. ... In case you're wondering, the suicide squeeze, which gave the Indians a 2-1 win Tuesday, is not one of Acta's favorite plays.